Fair and Free Elections Act, 2026

SUMMARY FROM THE OFFICIAL REGISTRY

What you need to know

The Bill amends the Election Act and the Election Finances Act with respect to various electoral matters. Currently, returning officers are appointed under the Election Act by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The amendments make the Chief Electoral Officer responsible for appointing these returning officers. In addition, the amendments allow polling day to be chosen from a range of dates, instead of having it fall on the fifth Thursday after the date of the writ. The existing power in subsections 9.1 (6) and (7) to recommend and choose an alternate day for polling day are repealed. The Election Finances Act is amended to require political advertisements that have been generated in whole or in part through the use of artificial intelligence to include a specified statement. A new prohibition is added that prohibits the transmission or publication of certain false or misleading content about an election. The Chief Electoral Officer is empowered to issue directions that stop, discontinue, remove or destroy transmissions or publications that contravene one of the provisions of the Act. A failure to comply with this direction may be subject to an administrative penalty.